Method for pressing garments



G. SCHLEMON METHOD FOR PRESSING GARMEN'I'S Filed Feb. 4, 1963 July 13,1965 MCI/UM SOURCE INVENTOR George Schlemon BY M, WIM

United States Patent 3 193352 METHQEB FER PRESENG GARMENTS GeorgeSchlenron, 306i Pharr tCourt NW., Atlanta, Ga. Filed Feb. 4, 1963, Ser.No. 259,769 5 (Ilaims. (ill. 33-15) This invention relates to a methodfor pressing garments and more particularly to a method for pressinggarments which does not result in the excessive pressure and heat thattend to shine garments and damage synthetic fabrics and blends, andwhich for this and other reasons results in the improved pressing ofgarments and permits the use of an improved, inexpensive upper buckneeding only relatively light structure to support and to raise andlower it.

Previously known methods for the commercial pressing of garments haveemployed presses having a pad covered lower buck, and an upper buckwhich is raised and lowered to engage a garment placed on the lowerbuck. The upper buck has generally an upper chamber in which steam underpressure is stored and a lower chamber into which steam from the upperchamber is released for application through a plurality of holes.

The storing of steam in the upper buck and the repeated release of steaminto and out of the upper buck causes the upper buck to become quitehot. This causes a garment being pressed to be exposed not only to theheat of the steam, but also to the heat of the upper buck. It is theresulting excessive heat applied to the garment which with excessivepressure puts a shine on garments being pressed. It is this excessiveheat which damages synthetic fabrics and blends and other heat sensitivematerials. Moreover, because of the storing of high pressure steam andof the need to exert heavy pressure, upper bucks have been massive andhave required large and expensive structure to support, raise and lowerthem.

Since steam is applied from the upper buck to the garment backed by thepad on the lower buck and before a drying vacuum is applied, previouslyexisting methods for pressing garments have also resulted in excesssteam being spread about the area of the press when the upper buck islowered and pressed against the garment and the lower buck. Both thisexcess steam and the excessive heat of the exposed upper buck structureserve to make existing presses and methods of pressing garmentshazardous to the operator of the press. This fact, and the massivestructure of the upper buck necessar to hold and release steam and toexert large pressing pressures account for the failure of previouslyexisting commercial methods and presses for pressing garments to besuitable for home use. The apparatus required has been too large,expensive, and hazardous for such use.

This invention completely eliminates these difficulties and limitationsof previously existing methods for pressing garments. The method of theinvention eliminates the massive, steam containing upper buck with itshazards to the operator and its excessive heat and pressure which damagesynthetic fabrics and blends and which put a shine on other materials.It permits an improved upper buck of light and inexpensive constructionwhich, although suitable for use with previously existing pressingmethods, is particularly suited to the method of the invention.

These and other improvements are achieved because steam is introducedthrough the lower buck and diffused through the pad on the lower buckand into the garment while a vacuum on the upper buck draws the steamthrough the garment and out of the press where it can be exhausted orrecirculated to the lower buck. The upper buck contains no stored steamand because the lower buck is covered with a pad, neither the up-3,193,952 Patented July 13, 1965 er buck nor the lower buck will damageor shine materials or be a hazard to the operator.

Moreover, since the steam being introduced through the lower buck iscompletely contained within the press as it passes through the padcovered lower buck, the gar ent and the upper buck, there is no excesssteam spreading about the area of the press to cause heat and make theoperator uncomfortable or to present a hazard to the operator. Thus, themethod of the invention described herein permits existing presses orimproved presses specifically adapted to its use to eifectively pressgarments without danger of damaging or shining the garment and to becomfortably and safely use by the operator. improved pressesspecifically adapted to the method of the invention are of lighter andless expensive construction as well as completely safe and comfortableto use, and the home pressing of garments to commercial standards isentirely practical.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be moreclearly understood from the following detailed description and theaccompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of apress suitable to the method of the invention and showing the improvedupper buck and the lower buck in section.

This drawing and the following detailed description disclose a preferredspecific embodiment of the inven tion, but neither the method nor theapparatus of the invention are limited to the details disclosed sincethey may be embodied in other equivalent forms.

This invention is most easily understood by considering the sequence ofsteps used to press a garment. The garment is first placed on the pad 10of the lower buck 11. The pad 10 is of known type having the usualporous and resilient layer of material 22 and the pressing surface 12 ofthe upper buck 13 is brought into contact with the garment with lightpressure so as to only lightly hold the garment between the upper buck13 and lower buck 11 and prevent creeping of the garment on the pad 19of the lower buck 11.

Steam under seventy to eighty pounds pressure is then introduced intothe chamber 14 of the lower buck 11 through an intake pipe 15. Steamunder this pressure has been found to have adequate moisture content forthe method of the invention. The steam diifuses throughout the chamber14 and passes upward through a plurality of holes 16 in the upper plate17 of the lower buck 11, through the pad 16 and into the garment beingpressed. A vacuum is applied to exit pipe 18 and the chamber 19 of theupper buck 13 simultaneously with or shortly after the introduction ofsteam into the chamber 14- of the lower buck l1, and the steam enteringthe garment being pressed from the chamber 14 of the lower buck 11 isdrawn through the garment and into the chamber 19 of the upper buck l3and the exit pipe 18 through which it passes, to be exhausted or trappedfor recirculation to the lower buck.

The application of a vacuum to the chamber 19 of the upper buck 13 whilesteam is being applied to the garment from the chamber 14- ot the lowerbuck 11, insures that the work area of the press operator adjacent thepress will not become warm and uncomfortable or hazardous because of thepresence of excess steam. The steam is contained by the pad 1 3 and thegarment until it passes through the garment and is immediately drawninto the upper buck 13 after passing through the garment. Moreover, theapplication of the vacuum while steam is being applied to the garmentalso prevents excess moisture from collecting in the material of thegarment. This improves the quality of pressing and makes drying thegarment less difiicult.

subjecting pipe 18 and chamber 19 to a vacuum can be accomplished in anyconventional manner as shown in the drawing and exemplified by thevarious plumbing arrangements shown in'the United States Patents No. 1,'326,982 to Spencer; 1,501,685 to Parker; and 2,784,509

' to Ketchum, et a1; Y 1

pipe with a valve 2-1 of known type which permits either steam or dryair from the atmosphere or other suitable source to be introduced intochamber 14. The continuing vacuum, by itself and in combination with theapplication of a vacuum during the introduction of steam,

has the further advantage of keeping the lower buck 11, the pad 10 andthe upper buck 13 free from moisture.

The vacuum further tends to draw off the'heatgenerated by the steam andtherefore tends to maintain the The fact that steam is not stored in theupper buck V 13 and passes through the upper buck 13 only after it haslost some of its heat while passing through the 'pad 10 and the garment,prevents the upper buck 13- from being hot from the presence of steam.This, and the elimination of heat causing excess moisture by the vacuumas described above, insurethat the upper buck 13 will not become so hotas to shine the garment or damage synthetic fabrics or blends. As amatter of fact, the lack r of upper buck13 heatwill prevent a shine ongarments even when substantial mechanical pressure is applied to thegarment by the upper buck 13. Moreover, since the i steam-containinglower buck 11 is covered by a pad 10,

the lack of the excessive heat usually associated with the Evenpreviously existing with presses constructed with the method of theinven-.

tion'in view, the method possesses the additional advantage ofpermitting the struction. V

This is because the upper buck 13' exerts only light pressure and doesnot contain steam under pressure. Not only may the upper buck 13 be lessexpensive, but the structure used to support and to raise and lower itmay be less massive and expensive. able for home as well as commercialuse because'it is relaupper buck 13to be of light contively inexpensiveand less massive than previously existing presses, and because it avoidsthe escaping excess steam and the hot metal surfaces associated withpreviously existing methods for'pressing clothes.

Preferably, the improved press has an upper buck 13 with a singlechamber 19, a pressing surface 12 constructed entirely of wire mesh 20,and meansof known type 'forapplying a .vacuum thr'ough exit pipe 18 tothe chamber 19. The wire meshlfi is closely spaced mesh of known typehaving arough textured surface. The

wire mesh 20 may beone or aplurality of layers thick.

The result is a press suit- 6'0 d where such pressure is required by thematerial of the garment. r

'Whetlier used with the method of the invention or previously existingpressing methods, the rough texture'of the wire mesh 20 and the fact,that the wire mesh 26 does not readily retain heat help to prevent thecrushing of material and the heat which shines garments when combinedwith either light or heavy mechanical pressure on the garments.Moreover, because each strand of wire mesh 20 isiof small diameter, apressing surface 12 of wire mesh 2t) does not have any relatively largefiat portions to collect moisture or to mark the garment when thepressing surface 12 is in contact with the garment. Used with the methodof the invention, the porousstructure of the wire mesh 20 of thepressing surface 12 also enhances theupward flow of steam and dry airunder the influence ofthe vacuum applied to the chamber 19 of the upperbuck 13. V a

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations maybe made in the embodiments here chosen for the purpose of illustratingthe present invention without departing from the scope thereof asdefined by the appended claims. V I

What is claimed as, invention is: V

1. A method for pressing a'garment with a garment press having an upperbuck and a lower buck,"said method comprising, in combination, the stepsof firstly placing the garment in pressing position on the'lower buck,secondly exerting light mechanical pressure on the gar- .ment. with theupper buclgthirdly passing steam into the garment through the lower buckonly while simultaneously applying a vacuum to the garment through theupper buck, fourthly discontinuing the passage of steam into the garmentthrough the lower buck while continuing the application of a vacuum tothe garment through the upper buck, fifthly while passing dry air intothe garment through the. lower buck, sixthly discontinuing theapplication of a vacuum to the garment through the upper buck and thepassage of dry air into the garment through the lower buck, seventhlydiscontinuing the light mechanical pressure exerted on the garment bythe upper buck, and finally re'movingthe garment from the lower buck. a

2. A method for pressing a garment with a garment press having an upperbuck and. a lower buck, said method comprising, in sequence, the stepsof exerting light mechanicalpressure on the garment with the upper buck,passing steam into the garment through the lower buck only whilesimultaneously applying a vacuum to the garment through the upper buck,discontinuing the passage of steam into the garment through the lowerbuck while continuing the application of a'vacuum to the garment throughthe upper buck, passing dry air into the garment through the lower buck,discontinuing the application of a vacuum to the garment through theupper buck and the passage of dry air into the garment through the lowerbuck, discontinuing the light mechanical pressure exerted on the garmentby the upper buck. .3; A method for pressing a garment with a garmentress having an upper buck and a lower buck, said method comprising incombination, the steps of firstly passmg steam into the garment throughthe lower buck only while applying a vacuum to the'garment through the 7upper buck, secondly discontinuingthe passage of steam However, it hasbeen found that three layers of wire mesh 1 2t} provide a pressingsurface 12 with suflicient strength to not only hold a garment andprevent creeping, but

also to exert adequate and substantial pressing pressure into thegarment through the lower buck while continuing the application of avacuum. to the garment through the upper buck, thirdly passing dry airinto the garment through the lower buck, and finally discontinuing theapplication of'a vacuum to the garment through the upper buck and thepassage of dry airinto thefgarment through the lower buck.

t. In a method for pressing a garment between an upper buck and a lowerbuck, the steps of firstly passing steam'into the garment through thelower buck only while simultaneously applying a vacuum to the garmentthrough the upper buck, and secondly discontinuing the passage of steaminto the garment through the lower buck while continuing the applicationof a vacuum to the garment through the upper buck.

5. In a method for pressing a garment positioned on a lower buck, thesteps of in sequence exerting light pres- 5 sure on the garment with anupper buck, drawing steam through the garment from the lower buck onlywith a vacuum applied through the upper buck, and drawing dry airthrough the garment with the said vacuum after the drawing of steamthrough the garment has been discon- 10 tinued.

References titted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Spencer 3816Parker 3815 Zeidler 38-66 Sando 3815 Braun 38-15 Braun 3815 Sayring38-15 Schultz 38-15 Ketchum et a1. 3815 Paulsen 3815 JORDAN FRANKLIN,Primary Examiner.

5/19 Chase 3816 15 DAVID}. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner.

1. A METHOD FOR PRESSING A GARMENT WITH A GARMENT PRESS HAVING AN UPPERBUCK AND A LOWER BUCK, SAID METHOD COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, THE STEPSOF FIRSTLY PLACING THE GARMENT IN PRESSING POSITION ON THE LOWER BUCK,SECONDLY EXERTING LIGHT MECHANICAL PRESSURE ON THE GARMENT WITH THEUPPER BUCK, THIRDLY PASSING STEAM INTO THE GARMENT THROUGH THE LOWERBUCK ONLY WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING A VACUUM TO THE GARMENT THROUGHTHE UPPER BUCK, FOURTHLY DISCONTINUING THE PASSAGE OF STEAM INTO THEGARMENT THROUGH THE LOWER BUCK WHILE CONTINUING THE APPLICATION OF AVACUUM TO THE GARMENT THROUGH THE UPPER BUCK, FIFTHLY WHILE PASSING DRYAIR INTO THE GARMENT THROUGH THE LOWER BUCK, SIXTHLY DISCONTINUING THEAPPLICATION OF A VACUUM TO THE GARMENT THROUGH THE UPPER BUCK AND THEPASSAGE OF DRY AIR INTO THE GARMENT THROUGH THE LOWER BUCK, SEVENTHLYDISCONTINUING THE LIGHT MECHANICAL PRESSURE EXERTED ON THE GARMENT BYTHE UPPER BUCK, AND FINALLY REMOVING THE GARMENT FROM THE LOWER BUCK.